Mail-box.



No. 807,764. PATENTED DEG. 19, 1905. H. MOWERS, C. W. BUSICK & J. C. STRATTON.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Amm, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 807,764. PATENTE-D DB0. 19, 1905. H. H. MowBRs, o. W. BUSIGK L J. o. sTRATToN. MAIL B0X.

APPLICATION PILBDAPR. 6, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE HENRY H. MOERS, CHARLES W. BUSICK, ANI) JAMES C. STRATTON, OF

A GROVERHILL, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application iled April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254,190.

T0 (1f/ZZ whom, it nwty concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY H. MOWERS, CHARLES W. BUsIoK, and JAMES C. STEATTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Groverhill, in the county of Paulding and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rural free-delivery mail-boxes; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eficient automatic or safety locking-receptacle of this character which will prevent the mail deposited by the carrier from being removed except by the owner or a person with a key to the box. p

The above and other objects which will appear as the nature of our invention is better understood are accomplished by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mailbox constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view through the same, the lid or cover being in its closed position. Fig. 8 is a similar sectional view showing the lid or cover swung to its open position and thefalse bottom swung up to its closed position to close the lower compartment of the receptacle, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.

The embodiment of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a box or receptacle 1, preferably of rectangular form and having adjacent to its lower end a door 2, which is adapted to be secured by a suitable lock 3 and at its upper open end a swinging cover or lid 4, which is hinged, as shown at 5, upon one side of the receptacle. The interior of the box or receptacle is divided into upper and lower compartments 6 and 7 by a false bottom 8, which preferably consists of two swinging sections or plates 9. These bottom sections 9 have secured upon their under sides at their ends bearing-brackets 10, which are formed with downturned ends 11, through which extends a shaft12.

This shaft has its ends journaled in bearingbrackets 13 and 14, secured upon the inner faces of the ends or' the receptacle 1, so that the bottom sections 8 are adapted to swing downwardly from the center and upwardly toward the center of the same.

In order to automatically open and close the false bottom 8 when the lid or cover 4 is closed and opened, we provide plates 16 upon the portions 11 of the brackets 10 and have them engage cams 17, provided upon a slide 18, which is provided at one end of the receptacle. The slide 18 is in the form of a plate,

lwhich is adapted to slide vertically by reason of the engagement of its edges with guide-grooves 19, provided upon the inside of one of the ends of the receptacle. The cams 17 are in the form of angle metal plates secured upon the inner face of the slide 18 and have their upper ends curved inwardly, as shown at 20. These cams engage the plates 16 upon the bottom sections 9, so that when the slideis elevated said sections will be retained in their closed or horizontal position, and when said slide is lowered the curved upper ends of said cams drop below the pivot of said bottom sections, so that the latter are permitted to swing downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The slide 18 is operated by a link 25, which has one of its ends secured, as at 28, upon one side of the slide and its other end pivoted, as at 29, upon the cover or lid 4.

It will be seen that a postman or letter-carrier deposits the mail upon the false bottom 8 when the cover is elevated, and when said cover is closed said bottom opens to drop the mail into the lower compartment, from which it can only be removed by opening the door 2. In order that th owner may place mail in the box so that it may be collected by the carrier or collector, we provide within the upper compartment of the receptacle, preferably upon its rear side, a letter-holder 29a, and we also preferably provide within said compartment a small removable stamp or money box 30, in which the owner may place money or postage-stamps to be placed upon the letters deposited in the holder 29 and in which the postman may place stamps or change for the owner. This box is, as shown, suspended upon the holder 292b by means or' a hook 31, provided upon the box and engaged with the inner wall of said holder.

From the foregoing description, taken in IOO connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the character described comprising a box or receptacle, amovable cover therefor, a swinging false bottom in said receptacle, a slide within said receptacle having a cam for operating said bottom and a link connection between said slide and said cover.

2. A device of the character' described, comprising a box or receptacle, a movable cover therefor, a false bottom in said receptacle, consisting' of swinging sections, a slide within said receptacle, cams upon said slide to engage and operate said swinging false-bottom sections, and a link connecting said slide and said cover, whereby said bottom sections will be swung upwardly to their closed position when said cover is opened.

3. Adeviceoil the character described, comprising a box or receptacle having a swinging cover upon the same, pivoted false-bottom sections in said receptacle, locking-plates upon said bottom sections, guideswithin said receptacle, a slide in said guides, cams upon'said slide to coact with said locking-plates, and a link connecting said slide and said cover.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witness'es.

HENRY H. MOWERS. CHARLES W. BUSICK. JAMES C. STRATTON. Witnesses:

O. T. WATsoN, C. L. CASHEL. 

